Ipswich lido £5.3m restoration plan wins approval

As many as 2,000 swimmers a day packed into Broomhill during its heyday from the 1930s to the 1990s

A £5.3m plan to restore and reopen a 1930s lido has been approved.

Broomhill Swimming Pool in Ipswich opened in 1938 but has been closed since 2002.

Ipswich Borough Council's planning committee gave the project the green light, but told the developers, Fusion Lifestyle, to consider the impact of car parking in the area.

The project has to wait to hear if it has been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) next month.

If it gains the £3.3m funding, the developers aim to reopen the pool in 2020.

The Broomhill Pool Trust, which has been campaigning for the lido to reopen for 15 years, said it was "absolutely delighted" the project had passed this "major milestone".

Fusion Lifestyle aims to reopen the pool in 2020

Under the plans, the Grade II-listed pool's water will be heated to "take the chill off", the architects said.

The original lido was heated, but during World War Two the boilers were removed for the war effort and never replaced.

The lido's Wicksteed diving boards will be restored and the facility will also include a fitness centre, new changing rooms and a small refreshment area.

Peter Gardiner, chairman of the planning committee, said it would be "great" to see the pool where he learned to swim as a boy reopened.

The original pool was built in 1938 and has been closed for 15 years

The council said the original 50m (165ft) pool and children's pool closed because it became too expensive to run.

It still owns the pool and has pledged £1m towards its restoration. The rest of the money will come from Fusion Lifestyle's own pocket.

The first stage HLF grant, of £180,000, paid for specialist testing, surveys and design development for the restoration of the pool.

Broomhill Swimming Pool

• Opened in 1938

• Cost £17,000 to build

• The pool was 5m (16ft) deep and had five diving boards

• It had a grandstand for 700 people

• There were changing facilities for 70 women and 108 men

Source: Broomhill Pool Trust

Under the plans, the pool will be heated to "take the chill off"